Conveyer-belt idler



Jan. 3, 1928.

c, c. PFLEEGOR- CONVEYER BELT IDLER Filed Feb. 9. 1925] 114-4/flttozwup/ Patented 3, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE.

CORDEEN C. PFLEEGOR, OF MUNCY, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO SPROUT, WALDRON& CO., F MUNCY, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION 0F PENNSYLVANIA.

i CONVEYER-BELT IDLER.

Application led February` This invention relates to conveyer beltidlers, and more particularly to anti-friction bearing heads for therollers of conveyer belt idlers.

Conveyer belt idlers as heretofore constructed have had cast iron headsinserted and secured in the ends of the rollers; said headseach'consisting of a cylindrical' body cast integrally with a centrallydisposed substantially cup-like bearing member connected therewith by acontinuous annular web separating it from said bearing'member; thelatter having an opening through itsI closed end adapted to lit on ashaft on which the l5 roller is mounted; said cup-like member having anannular roller-bearing inserted in its open end and secured thereinagainst a shoulder near its closed end by means of a nut'or washerscrewed on the shaft and closing said open end, a suitable annular spaceor cha-m ber for grease or lubricating material being provided betweenthe f closed fend of said member and said nut, so as to form what isknown as a seal to prevent grease fromiescaping and finding its way intothe interior of the roller, but in practice it has been found that thegrease gun used to insert the lubricant will force the greasennder andpast the seal, so as to enable it toescape into .30 the roller and lodgetherein, thus placing the roll in an unbalanced condition. The object ofmy invention is to overcome the foregoing ob]ections to conveyer beltidlers as heretofore constructed, and to provide a roller-bearing of thecharacter referred to having a double seal, so that grease which escapesfrom the first sea-l can work its way out and escape through the openend of the roller instead of finding its Way into 40 the roller andlodging therein.

The invention will first be hereinafter more particularly described,with 'reference to the accompanying drawings, which are to be taken as apart of this specification, and

y then pointed'out in the claims at the end of the description.

In said drawings, Fig. 1 is a transverse' section of a conveyer beltidler-supporting` frame showing in side elevation a conveyer belt idlerembodying my invention mounted on said frame; y a

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of a broken awayend-portion of one of the rolls of a conveyer belt idler embodyportingarms or brackets the frame on which the rollers B and B1 'outwa1'dly-andprovided with a central cir- 9, 1926. Serial No. 87,194.

.Figa 3 is a transverse section taken on the l line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Referring to said drawings, in which the same reference letters ornumerals are used io denote corresponding parts in different view s, Adenotes the base member of .a supporting frame on which is mounted therollers B, B1, of the conveyer belt idler arranged to support the upperrun of the belt; the shafts of the rollers being secured at oppositeends to suitable brackets or stand- .ardson said frame with the centralor middle roller B arranged in a substantially horizontal plane and theouter rollers B1y extending upwardly in opposite directions at an obtuseangle to said central roller. The

lower run of the belt is supported upon a roller C, which is revolublysupported below the rollers B and B1 by means of supdepending from aremounted. The frame may be of the form shown or any suitable constructionand as it forms no part of my invention, further description thereofappears to be unnecessary.' In each end of each of the rollers whichsupportfand guide the conveyer belt is inserted and secured a cast ironor other suitably formed head containing an anti-friction orroller-bearing; said head comprising outer andV inner substantiallycup-like members D and D1, each open at one end and having its closedend bulged cular opening of sufficient size to receive andfit snugly ona shaft E,vwhich is non-rotatively secured in suitable brackets or standards on the machineframe by any suitable means such as are ordinarilyemployed for similar purposes. Within the inner cup-like member D1 ofthe roller head or casing member is secured an annular roller oranti-friction bearing F consisting preferably of concentric rings havinginclined confronting bearing surfaces between which are confined a rowof conical rollers, and between said annular bearing` and the closed endof the 'cup-like member D1, suiicient space is pro far as possible'thegrease or other lubricant from escaping between the shaft and saidclosed end, the joint therebetween is sealed by suitable packingmaterial placed in an annular groove or channel Z1 formed around thecentral opening in the closed end of the member D1. The seal thusprovided I call the first seal. The shaft E is threaded near its outerend as shovvn and has screwed thereon a nut or collar G of sufficientsize to close the open end of the cup-like member D1 and confine theannular roller-bearing F between it and a shoulder or abutment withm inthe member D1 adjacent the chamber for holding grease or otherlubricating matcrial; said nut or collar having a groove or grooves inits periphery to receive packing material to seal the joint between itand the inner Wall of the bearing member D1 and being secured againstrotation by* means of a spline-and-groove connection with the shaft E,or by means of a pin g inserted through a hole in the hub of the collarand protruding into a longitudinal groove in'the shaft, as indicated byfull and dotted lines in Fig. 2. The outwardly bulged and closed end ofthe outer cup-like member D of the head is separated from the closed endof the inner member sufficiently to provide an annular space orchamberd2 extending around the shaft to receive any grease or lubricatingmaterial that may escape from the chamber d1 along the shaft, thusforming what I term a second seal, to prevent grease or other lubricantfrom escaping into the interior of theroller. The two members D and vD1are rigidly connected together in spaced relation by means of spacedconnecting portions or spokes da which are preferably formed integrallytherewith, so as to provide a passage-way through which grease escapingpast the first seal can work its way out with ease to the end of theroll.

The heads may be secured in the ends of the tubes by means of bolts orrivets inserted through registering holes therein, but preferably theend of the tube is bent or spun around the outer end of the outercylindrical member D of the head, and to prevent the latter from turningit may be secured to the tube by drilling a hole through the outer endportions of the tube and head and pouring Welding material therein, thelatter being ground oft flush with the outer surface of the tube. Toprevent dust or dirt from entering the open end of the head a closureplate or annulus H having a central opening therein through which theend of the shaft E is inserted, is fitted within the open end of thecylindrical member D of the head so as to bear against a rib or abutmenth on the inner side 0f said member andr may be held in place by means ofa split ring I sprung into an annular groove on the inner side of theouter cylindrical member D of the head adjacent the annular rib orabutment 7L between which and said split ring said closure plate isremovably secured.

In practical use grease or other lubricant is forced into the bearingmember D1 by means of an alemite gun or the like, and the pressure isusually sufficient to cause some of the grease to escape past the firstseal, but on entering the chamber d2 the pressure is immediatelyreleased, so that the grease can Work its way out with case through thepassages between the spokes D2, following the line of least resistanceto the end of the roll, and any air pressure exerted by the alemite gunand passing thru the first grease seal would naturally follow said lincof least resistance and take the grease willi it.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A roller for conveyor belt idlcrs coinprising a tube having insertedinthc end thereof a head having inner and outer substantially cup-likemen'ibers connected together-in spaced relation by spaced connectingportions; each of said members having a central opening in its closedend of sufficient size to adapt it to tit snugly on a shaft on which theroller is mounted, the closed ends of said'mcmbcrs being spaced apart soas to provide an open space between said ends around the closed end ofthe inner member in communication with the space be tween the peripheralportions of said members, said inner member having an anti-frictionbearing housed therein` and means for sealing the closed ends of saidmembers around the shaft so as to prevent grease or other lubricant fromescaping along the shaft and entering the interior of the roller.

2. `A roller for a conveyer belt idler comprising a tube having insertedand secured in each end a head having outer and inner members ofsubstantially cup-like form connected together in spaced relation byintegral spaced connecting portions;,each of said members having acircular opening in its closed end of suflicient size to adapt it to titsnugly on a shaft on which the roller is mounted; the closed ends ofsaid members being separated sufficiently to provide an open spacearound the closed end of the inner member in communication with thespace between the peripheral portions of the two members leading to theopen end of the head; said inner member having an annular anti-frictionbearing secured therein and a removable closure for its open end', andalso having a chamber for grease or other lubricant between its closedend and Said bearing and means for sealing its closed end around theshaft so as to prevent lubricant from escaping along the shaft into saidopen space.

3. A roller head comprising outer and inner cylindrical members adaptedfor insertill tion in the end of a tube, said members being connectedtoget-her in spaced relation by radially extending connecting'portionsand each open at one end and having in its other end a central openingof suiicient size t0 adapt it to fit snugly on a shaft on which theroller is mounted,` the closed ends of said members being spaced apartto provide an annular space around the closed end of the inner member,and the latter having an anti-friction bearing housed therein and anannular grease holding chamber between said bearing and its closed end,and means for sealing the closed ends of said members so as to preventgrease from escaping into the interior ofthe roller.

4. In a roller for conveyer belt idlers composed of a tubular 'memberwith heads inserted and secured in the ends of theI tube, a headconsisting'of cylindrical members with closed inner ends and open outerends; said members being joined together in spaced relation byv integralspaced connecting portions so as to provide a space for lubricant'aroundthe closed end of the inner member and a passage leading from said spacethrough which the lubricant can work its way out from between saidclosed ends to the opposite open ends 0f said members;

said inner member having a removable clo` sure for its open end andadapted to contain` being rigidly connected together in spaced relationand having the closed ends thereof separated sufficiently to provide anannular space between the closed ends of the two meinbers; said innermember being constructed to contain an anti-friction bearing and havingan annular grease holding chamber therein arranged between its closedend and said bearing, means to prevent lubricant from es-` capingthrough the closed end of said outer member into the interior of theroller, and detachable means for closing the open ends of said members.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CORDEEN C. PFLEEGOR.

